Florida: Muslim worker accuses UPS of bias

In the last decade, 6,600 Muslims have filed complaints with the federal government, claiming that their employers discriminated against them because of their beliefs. But Ashraf Sarandah’s allegations against the United Parcel Service of America go way beyond the typical religious discrimination charges, according to his lawyers.

Ashraf claims that his boss at UPS called him “a monkey” over instant messenger, because of the color of his skin. And another manager allegedly followed him into the bathroom, mocked him for urinating sitting down, as Ashraf’s particular beliefs dictate, and gave him a demonstration in “how we urinate in this country.”

On Tuesday, Sarandah’s lawyers announced that they were filing a charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, accusing UPS of discriminating against Ashraf (pictured above with his daughter) because of his race, religion and national origin.

Sarandah, who is a Palestinian Muslim, got a job as an industrial engineer planner with UPS in Orlando, Fla., at the end of 2004. He claims that the harassment began soon after. And he says that his boss, Larry Campbell, in 2008 actually called him a monkey over instant messenger, according to a written exchange provided by Ashraf’s lawyers.

“who are you calling a monkey,” Sarandah replied, “that is very inappropriate.” Campbell clarified that he was calling Sarandah a monkey.

I’ve worked for a few large corporate entities. Different departments sometimes have very differing standards of conduct within the same company. Some managers are completely clueless as to what sort of behavior is appropriate and treat their departments like a kingdom. It’s always fun to see their kingdoms come crashing down when they realize that they didn’t have as much clout with the board of directors as they thought they did. Sadly, though, that isn’t always what happens. Sometimes it’s a slap on the wrist and the whistle-blower gets the bum’s rush. Hopefully UPS has a little more sense.

//Carl Hofelt via Facebook 11 July 2012 at 9:58 am

The fruit of the Reich Wing’s climate of hate,fear and bigotry…very sad.

Add that to the list of crazy muslim beliefs. You Islamophiles are nuts!

//Love Them Moonbats 11 July 2012 at 11:57 am

@ Love Them Moonbats

Not sure if you are male or female, but if you are male, here’s what I want you to do. Next time you are in the restroom of a not so well maintain establishment, take notice to the rust or discoloration marks on the walls bracketing the urinals. That’s not from water. When you pee you spray a little. Or, the urine splashes back out of the urinal. And what you are looking at are the results. So, if it’s getting on the urinal walls, it’s also getting on you. When you sit down to pee the entire stream is below the “bowl line,” if you will, so you are not getting any urine on you. It’s called cleanliness, which I heard was next to Godliness, not craziness. This also prevents those accidental misfires when you start to pee and it goes where IT wants to go.

//Rashiyd Abu Ali 11 July 2012 at 3:32 pm

Rashiyd Abu Ali,

i agree totally. i get a split stream all the time. i pissed all over myself at a rays game once. oh well. but of course sitting down can create open an whole other can of worms. last night at ferg’s my scrotum hit the water. always bad. so anyways, regardless of the corrosive properties of urine, and the terrible design of the human digestive system, what do you think of the 24th surah?

and: “When you sit down to pee the entire stream is below the “bowl line,”” not neccesarily. unlike dongo i have a small penis and i’ve pissed between the seat and the bowl once. right on my leg. go figure.

” It’s called cleanliness, which I heard was next to Godliness,” that’s funny. i said that to elle once and she said it was good to claim godliness. you better watch yourself. some muslims might take offense.

//mike 11 July 2012 at 4:16 pm

Not sure I see what you are getting at? Surat-An-Nuur covers several topics. Which one specifically are you referring to?

//Rashiyd Abu Ali 11 July 2012 at 8:57 pm

Rashiyd Abu Ali,
Don’t bother with Mike, he has a problem with his sight. I must have answered that comment 2 or 3 times to no avail.

Love Them Moon Bats,
Another crazy thing about these Asian and Muslim countries is that they use squating toilets instead of sitting toilets.

By forcing users to sit, the sitting toilet does not fulfill the natural requirements of waste elimination. It is responsible for the growing epidemic of colon, bladder, pelvic and prostate problems in Westernised countries.

Worldwide, more than 650,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year. Almost 30 million men suffer from enlargement of their prostate gland (benign prostatic hypertrophy, BPH).

Each year, the United States alone, over 400,000 men undergo prostate surgery each year. Over a billion dollars is spent on treating prostate problems.

It is no secret why Asian men do not have so much prostate problems as compared with Western men. They use squatting toilets instead of sitting toilets.

By all means Moon butt, I can think of a bunch of jokes for after you get prostate cancer.

Mike,
Whichever way is cleaner to urinate is best. Public toilet? No way I’d sit down, would stand or hold it till I get home. Much cleaner there. And the water ain’t so high. And if you can aim while standing and think its clean, then sitting down is a lot cleaner if you do know how to aim. If the guy has a clean bathroom stall at work he has the right to be as clean as he possibly can. As for cleanliness next to Godliness, don’t know what websites ur visiting but God does tell us he loves those who are clean. Wouldn’t expect you to understand. Living longer and all. Crusaders might have thought the idea of cleanliness was a joke in the Muslim world not knowing abou germs and all, but I guess they didn’t think dropping dead from diseases was very funny.

//M Bennett 12 July 2012 at 3:48 am

bennet,

sorry. my eyesight is fine, just my typing is bad. that should have read “i said that to elle once and she said it was [not] good to claim godliness”. that is from this website. don’t you remember elle?

“It is responsible for the growing epidemic of colon, bladder, pelvic and prostate problems in Westernised countries.” where do you get that from? i would have to say that the growing number of those cancer are because of longevity. they claim every man will get prostate cancer if they live long enough. also increased diagnosis. when people drop dead in the 3rd world, no one bothers to figure out why. so does the average chinese even have their prostate checked? maybe they go to traditial healers who look at their chi?

The [unmarried] woman or [unmarried] man found guilty of sexual intercourse – lash each one of them with a hundred lashes, and do not be taken by pity for them in the religion of Allah , if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day. And let a group of the believers witness their punishment.

The fornicator does not marry except a [female] fornicator or polytheist, and none marries her except a fornicator or a polytheist, and that has been made unlawful to the believers.

but you have said you are in favor of lashing people. so you aren’t an obama supporter. given he thinks that if his daughters make a mistake and become pregnant they should be allowed to abort the child. you would have them lashed instead?

//mike 12 July 2012 at 9:48 pm

The Laws of Islam do not apply to non-Muslims.

//Rashiyd Abu Ali 12 July 2012 at 10:04 pm

Maybe that is why they don’t like them. The strange anger at people with other customs and beliefs. The unbelieverphobia! it is some kind of control game. Women are forced to wear headscarves and other gear in these places whether they are muslim or not.

//anon 12 July 2012 at 11:25 pm

Let me clarify my statement. Shari’a does not apply to non-Muslims in non-Muslim lands. In Muslims countries these have to abide by the law of the land, just as we Muslims living in the West have to abide by the law of the land, as long as it does not prohibit us from practicing our religion. And if we don’t like it, we should leave. And vice verse.

//Rashiyd Abu Ali 13 July 2012 at 5:08 am

so if muslims become the majority in america, you would be infavor of replacing the constitution with sharia?

but if i visit saudi arabia or iran or pakistan they could arrest and punish me for blasphemy?

I am sorry but peeing in a toilet bowl does not offer any more protection than an Urinal. One can still get some blowback if you miss your mark at all. In addition once you flush the toilet the water in the toilet does splash out in small droplets. It is simply hard to escape contact with waste products while eliminating them from your body or local enviroment. That is why I encourage people to wash their hands and take a bath or shower on a daily basis. You just never know what is laying dorment under that kneecap, waiting for you to rub your leg then devour a Hersheys Kiss.

AS to the story, this man was mistreated and the people that treated him so should be fired and this man should be given his job back.